Why does Naruto have so many filler episodes? Explained

Modified May 07, 2024 04:14 GMT

Naruto filler episodes and why they happened (Image via Studio Pierrot).

The question of why Naruto has so many filler episodes is one that has puzzled many newcomers to the franchise over the years. The excessive amount of filler content has made the original anime harder to digest, posing difficulties in introducing the series to new audiences.

It is fairly common knowledge at this point that the abundance of Naruto filler episodes stems directly from the anime adaptation by Studio Pierrot trying to maintain pace with Masashi Kishimoto's manga. Therefore, considering that the anime had a weekly release schedule, as opposed to being seasonal, it led to the creation of several filler arcs in order to give the manga room to breathe and stay ahead.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a whole.

Explaining why Naruto has so many filler episodes and the consequences that it had on the series

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The extreme amount of filler episodes was a natural decision because, as mentioned earlier, Studio Pierrot's anime adaptation was constantly outpacing the manga. Faced with shortage of source material to adapt, the creators resorted to filler arcs to allow Kishimoto more time to release new chapters. This was common practice back in the days of weekly anime, with another Studio Pierrot production, Bleach, suffering from a similar issue.

In that regard, these are the different arcs that the anime had and how many episodes it covered throughout the series:

Original series 26: Chunin Exams arc
Original series 97: Search for Tsunade arc
Original series 102–106: Land of Tea Escort Mission arc
Original series 136–219: Land of Rice Fields Investigations arc
Shippuden 57–71: Twelve Guardian Ninja arc
Shippuden 89–112: Three Tails’ Appearance arc
Shippuden 119–120: Kakashi Gaiden arc
Shippuden 144–151: Six-Tails Unleashed arc
Shippuden 170–171: Big Quest for Fourth Hokage’s Legacy
Shippuden 176–196: Past arc: Locus of Konoha
Shippuden 223–242: Paradise Life on a Boat arc
Shippuden 257–260: Flashbacks
Shippuden 272: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 280–281: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 284–289: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 300–317: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 319–320: Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc
Shippuden 347–361: Fourth Shinobi World War: Climax arc
Shippuden 376–377
Shippuden 388–390: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki arc
Shippuden 394–413: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki arc
Shippuden 416: The Formation of Team Minato
Shippuden 422–423: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki arc
Shippuden 427–457: Birth of ten-Tails’ Jinchuriki, Jiraiya Shinobi Handbook: The Tale of Naruto the Hero, Itachi Shinden Book: Light and Darkness arcs
Shippuden 469: Kakashi's Face Reveal
Shippuden 480–500: Childhood, Sasuke Shinden Book: Book of Sunrise, Shikamaru Hiden: A Cloud Drifting In Silent Darkness, Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day For a Wedding arcs

The consequences of the filler episodes

Hinata Hyuga benefitted from the filler episodes (Image via Studio Pierrot).

The Naruto filler episodes were mostly easy to skip since they didn't affect the main storyline. However, now that the series is over, it is easy to see the affect these fillers had on the flow of the story.

While the filler arcs provided opportunities for side characters such as Hinata, Rock Lee, or Ten Ten to shine, they occasionally disrupted canon storylines. For instance, in Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi, several characters experienced dream states, which was not part of the manga.

Final thoughts

Naruto fillers have become rather infamous throughout years due to the excessive amount, although they are quite easy to skip these days through a mere online search. However, while they may be frustrating, it's important to understand that their prevalence was a byproduct of the era when anime series aired weekly almost year-round.

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